01 Caravan routine maintenance items

My 2001 Caravan Sport seems to have a lot of problems related to poor
engineering, and materials selection. Don't DC engineers learn from past
mistakes?
At 45k miles I spent $333 just to get the airbag and check engine lights to
go out.
These items should not fail after such a short period of time.
Clockspring $166 (sorry, no recall for this vehicle, per dealer)
Replaced vacuum lines at purge solenoid and canister/smoke test (up my butt,
probably) $148,
Front sway bar bushings - replaced myself, around $15 & 45 minutes.
Other stupid annoyances:
Inadequate headlights compared to other cars.
Noisy cabin, lots of road noise, cant play radio or talk quietly.
HVAC unit passes its own diagnostic test but transition between vent
positions is not gradual. (one click left of floor heat and lots of air
comes thru dash vents) Makes more noise than heat.
Very cold, unheated air seeps thru the dash joints for about 20 minutes of
driving in winter.
Air conditioning smells.
Rear wiper barely touches the glass when wiping across, even with new arms.
Front wiper washer nozzles not pointed right, and doesn't spray an even
pattern.
Front windshield weatherstripping pulling away.
I could go on.
Rick

 

Save the reciept for the clock and dont be surprised if that model/year is
next in line to be recalled. If it is Chrysler will reimburse you.

You can thank EPA for that repair . And the ozone for destroying the rubber
hoses, well not to say how cheap the rubber is also.

These are adjustable and you can clean them for a better spray

go on...

 

the real issue i see is you bought a base model and wanted high end features

 

Oh, I see, I am to expect to replace this stuff every 50k miles when I buy a
D-C base van for $24k, or should I have chosen another reliable brand that
lasts. I know of 3 other people with vans and Dakotas that need front
bushings. How many bushing sets have you replaced in your shop? Probably do
it blindfolded by now. I never needed one before on any of the high-mileage
cars I owned.
Don't defend mediocrity. What do I mention that is high-end to you... a
longer lasting clockspring? Never replaced one of those before either.
I'll bet all D-C cars share these same cheap, garbage-quality, probably
made-in-China base components no matter what price of the vehicle.
Rick

the real issue i see is you bought a base model and wanted high end
features

 

Oh goody. A troll.

If you have a REAL problem with a vehicle, folks here will help gladly.
If you just want to whine and moan, you'll get plenty of verbal abuse.
No one buys your "poor engineering" bullfeathers because WAY too many of
us have had Chrysler cars trucks and vans last 200, 300, and 400
thousand miles. They're not perfect- nothing is. But their minvans are
still the best ones made.

 

I have to agree with him, the cars suffer from the same things over and over
each year. I'm tired of fixing this stuff too.
Dave

 

What are you "fixing" every year?? or are you confusing "fixing"with
maintenance.

 

The first 10 years are the hardest. It's painful with these vans.

Does Chrysler ever learn? Sometimes. I remember the old ballast resistor had no protective backing
so it would rust out and you would need a paper clip to get the car home

Now after about 10 years, Chrysler finally put some backing, cheap plastic, so the bare metal would
not be exposed to the firewall where moisture and rust eventually would seep in. So progress comes,
but in 10 year spouts.

I was surprised to read about the noise compliant of yours. My 194,000+ mile van is also a very
basic model and rather quiet. I am bothered by noise only when I turn the fan to its highest settin
g. At highway, it's pretty quiet. Maybe not as quiet as other higher end vans, but it will do.

Now the rear wiper. I have the same problem but the wiper on the back of the van. Is that what you
meant by rear? I cannot get a replacement. After 10 years, Chrysler is not obligated really. In any
case, the dealers said to use third party parts. But that's a problem with the basic model since
the rear wiper has only one squirter. If it had two squirters, Chrysler said it would sell me an
OEM wiper for the van, around $20 for just the blade.

In any case, if you go to allpar.com, you will read the aggravation of trying to find a third party
wiper assembly. None of them quite fit the squirter. It's really a narrow wiper on an 18" length so
not that easy to find and not quite right. Trico Exact Fit 18" are not narrow and the squirters do
not fit precisely on the new blades. And the clips for the squirter don't quite fit the other
wipers. One could spend an entire week going to auto parts stores and never find a proper rear
replacement wiper. But it gives me a chance to talk to many new and interesting people who wonder
what is wrong with me that I have a van that cannot replace a simple item simply. Actually, we all
know about these small problems so we keep quiet. It's like having a problem child.

So what do you do? Refill the narrow blades only, just the rubber part, a little tricky, especially
in winter, and not quite a warm and fuzzy feeling. It's a non-standard part. And it does not make a
full semi-circle. Annoying but wipes fine. Aesthetically unpleasant to see the rear wiper making a
parabola

Amazing, the rear wiper still is screwed up after all these years. The more things change...

 

If you grab the rear wiper with one hand near the base of the arm and the
other hand at the top of the arm near the wiper and slightly bend the arm
toward the vehicle this will add alittle pressure to the arm,you may have to
wipe and bend a couple times to get it right but I do it often and it helps.

 

Thanks for the tip, but I managed to get the wiper to track better by
removing the whole arm and bending the tab holding the spring, increasing
tension... but why should I have to do that in the first place? Because they
designed the rear window with such a curve, blades dont work well no matter
what you do. Removing that arm was a challenge, as the materials used on the
stud corroded tight.
On the 2001 Caravan, the nozzle is built into the stoplight above the window
and squirts a "base model" stream in one spot, not a luxury "high end"
spray..a half-ass arrangement. Ditto for the front nozzles. Takes 3 tries
to clean the window. That's sloppy engineering.
Regarding maintenance, wasting $350 to replace clocksprings, swaybar
bushings and emission hoses after 50k miles isn't maintenance, it is poor
quality out of the factory.
Even the trim is failing. Those plastic chrome CARAVAN letters under the
rear window, the R was defective and lost its shine. I peeled them all off.
There's a difference between routine maintenance and replacing things that
fail because of poor quality. Spells job security for mic canic.
Rick

If you grab the rear wiper with one hand near the base of the arm and the
other hand at the top of the arm near the wiper and slightly bend the arm
toward the vehicle this will add alittle pressure to the arm,you may have to
wipe and bend a couple times to get it right but I do it often and it helps.

 

Do you self a favor and buy a Chevy or Ford, It'll really make you
appreciate your Dodge!

 

I have had experience with Chevys and Fords... my daughter's Cavalier has
sucked us dry with stupid quality & engineering problems. Something as
routine as the oil filter is impossible to reach to change the oil. My son's
$ebring is falling apart too.

Intead of another Sebring convertible, I bought an '04 Solara convertible
instead. All car co's have their problems and detractors, but at least the
wipers,
heater and radio work perfectly, and, how is it that this convertible has a
quieter interior than my Caravan?
Rick

Do you self a favor and buy a Chevy or Ford, It'll really make you
appreciate your Dodge!

 

The airbag light just came on again after spending $180 6 months ago for a
clockspring. If they want us to replace these items every year, at least
make it easier.
Rick

What are you "fixing" every year?? or are you confusing "fixing"with
maintenance.